Once More With Feeling
by sayanythinglover
Summary: You're my girl, I like your style, just imagine all the time we could kill. Spencer and Ashley. A slightly different take on the courtship. AU.
1. Another Girl Another Planet

The sun was at its highest point in the day, so high that nothing could touch it. An orange and white moving truck was filling the block with the gas from its exhaust pipe and the noise of its almost deceased engine. Spencer was shuffling back and forth from the house and the truck with inanimate objects and furniture in her hands. She was thinking about how easy it was for someone to just pack up their whole life into a truck. She thought that it was almost kind of sad.

She was exhausted from not only the effort she gave helping moving everything into the house, but from the stifling heat. She asked her mother if she could take a walk around to see the neighborhood. Paula, of course, obliged because she seemed too preoccupied with other things to worry about Spencer walking alone in an unfamiliar area known as LA.

Even though the sun seemed to have a direct target on Spencer's head, she didn't seem to mind. The stress of the move had affected everyone in her family and she needed to get away from it all, if only for a while. She studied every house that she passed so she could produce a mental image if she ever got lost. Eventually, she came upon a house that appeared to have fallen from the sky because it definitely did not belong here.

The house looked like it belonged in that one movie where Ice Cube and Chris Tucker get high on the porch. The name seemed to escape Spencer at the moment, but she knew it was Glen's favorite movie. The lawn hadn't been mowed in over two weeks. There was a spare tire in the middle of the grass. Some empty beer cans and bottles were littered in random places. She saw a guitar leaning by the front door.

All of a sudden, a screen door opened and slammed causing Spencer to jump at the noise. A girl walked out and sat on a chair that was part of the outdated patio furniture on the porch. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and a cigarette emerged from her hand. A lighter was on the table and she snatched it to light the cigarette. After that was done, she seized the guitar that was next to her and started strumming it.

Spencer was watching every move of the brunette. She squinted to see more closely and noticed that the girl looked to be around her age. She figured that this was a good time as any to meet friends. It was the middle of summer and she did not want to spend the rest of it in complete isolation. As she was thinking this, the girl stopped playing her guitar and looked up to see Spencer standing on the edge of her lawn. She did not know what to do so she started walking up the path to where the girl was sitting.

The girl watched Spencer with every step she took. She continued to strum her guitar while being surrounded in smoke that she exhaled. Finally, Spencer came close enough so she could actually see the girl for all she was. Her brunette hair came halfway down her shoulders and every strand of it was wavy. Her brown eyes were staring intently at Spencer, so much so that it started to make her feel uncomfortable. Spencer opened her mouth to speak first.

"Hi, I'm Spencer Carlin. I just moved in down the block. I thought I'd come and introduce myself." Spencer said as she mentally insulted herself. She knew what she had just said was lame and in no way would it hold up in LA. The girl was silent as she scanned Spencer from head to toe. She made no attempt to hide this fact. She smirked as she put out her cigarette in the ashtray that was on the table.

"Well, Spencer. How neighborly of you. And from what planet did you come from?" Ashley asked as she emphasized her name. She was still strumming the guitar lazily with her hand. Her eyes were burning a hole through Spencer's face.

"I moved here from Ohio. My mom got a job at Cedars-Sinai because she's a surgeon." Spencer blurted out without meaning to. She always said more than what was asked when she was nervous. The girl raised her eyebrow as she took a carton of cigarettes from her pocket and put them on the table.

"Ohio? That is quite a way from here. Do you want one?" The girl said as she started to open the carton to get another cigarette. Spencer nodded her head from side to side. The girl just shrugged her shoulders as she lit her cigarette. She leaned back in her chair and put her guitar behind her. Spencer was still just standing there, feeling like an outsider.

"You're welcome to sit down since you're blocking my sun. By the way, my name is Ashley. Ashley Davies if you want to be formal." The girl said as she brought her hand that did not hold her cigarette to greet Spencer. Spencer's hand clasped with Ashley's as they shook. Ashley's hand lingered for a moment too long before she broke the shake.

Spencer took a seat across the table from Ashley. Ashley's eyes followed Spencer as she inhaled the toxic smoke into her young lungs. She exhaled and her eyes shifted to the street where a car was passing by. The silence between the two was obvious and now Spencer was not only sweating because of the heat. Ashley put out her cigarette and turned to look at Spencer.

"So, Spencer Carlin, are you going to tell me your life story or am I going to have to pry it out of you?" Ashley asked with a smile on her face. Spencer became aware of how beautiful Ashley actually was. Her nose crinkled into her face when she smiled and Spencer thought that was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"Well, you already know that I came here from Ohio. My mom is a surgeon and my dad is a social worker. I have two brothers, Glen and Clay. We kind of had the perfect life and then we moved here." Spencer said as she started to play with her hands. It was a nervous habit of hers. Her head was facing down and looking at her hands. She couldn't seem to meet Ashley's eyes because she felt like she was staring at her.

"That is quite a story. Did anyone tell you that you should make a movie out of it? It'd be number one at the box office, no doubt." Ashley said with a sarcastic voice. She brushed her hair behind her ear and Spencer noticed how short her fingernails were. She concluded that Ashley was no novice at playing the guitar.

"Okay, what about you? Who is Ashley Davies?" Spencer asked as she tried to turn the tables on Ashley. She was intrigued by this girl who seemed to have a comment for everything. Ashley let out a quick laugh at the question. She seemed to be deep in thought for an instant, and then she opened her mouth.

"Ashley Davies is a lot of things. But we won't get into that right now. Since you told me your history, I guess I'll tell you mine. I live here with my half sister, Kyla. She is quite a character. My dad stops by periodically to pay the bills and check up on us. But otherwise, it's kind of just me and her for the most part." Ashley said as she started to play with the carton of cigarettes in her hands. She was thinking about having another one but decided against it. She needed to cut down and chain smoking was not helping.

"Interesting. What about the guitar? Are you a musician?" Spencer asked as she tilted her head. The more Ashley spoke, the more Spencer wanted her to speak. Ashley threw her head back and laughed. She put her hand through her hair and brushed it out of her face. Her eyes went back towards Spencer and a grin materialized from her mouth.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but I am not a musician. I just play for the hell of it. It gives me something to do besides drink and smoke. I'm a person of very few interests." Ashley said as she continued to gaze at Spencer. The girl had definitely captured Ashley's interest. She seemed so pure and innocent, and all Ashley wanted to do was taint her.

Spencer was quiet for a moment. She did not know what else to say. She was horrible at carrying on conversations with people she hardly knew. Fortunately, her phone rang and broke the silence. She answered it and it was her mother telling her to come home. Spencer was a little sad at the prospect of leaving Ashley, especially since she didn't know if she'd be seeing her again.

"That was my mother. She wants me home so I can help finish moving. I guess I have to go now." Spencer said as she started to get up from the chair. Ashley watched her as she walked over to the end of the porch. Spencer hesitated and turned around to face Ashley.

"Hopefully, I'll see you around?" Spencer asked as she once again tilted her head to the side. Ashley did not say a word. She only nodded her head in agreement. Spencer took this as her cue to leave and started to walk away.

"Hey! Carlin!" Ashley shouted to Spencer. She turned around to see Ashley standing up from her chair. She waited to see what Ashley so desperately wanted to say to her.

"Don't be a stranger." Ashley said as she smiled. Spencer could not help but smile back and nodded her head up and down. She turned back around and continued to walk the journey back to her house. She took one last glance at Ashley and saw she was smoking another cigarette. She shook her head and laughed to herself.

She knew that this was not the last time she would see Ashley Davies.


	2. Shoot Down The Stars

Ashley came inside the front door to find an empty house. This was a common thing for her, so she found ways to entertain herself. That's where the guitar came in. Sometimes she spent straight days and nights just playing it. It was a release from everything in her life because when she was playing it, she wasn't thinking about anything. Kyla had always said that thinking too much would be the death of her. Ashley thought it might be the heavy drinking and chain smoking, but she didn't correct her.

Speaking of, she was wondering where Kyla could be. She had been gone all day without so much as a note or a phone call. She was probably with Aiden, fucking him in the backseat of his Nissan Xterra. She loved her sister, but she had horrible taste in guys.

The screen door slammed against its frame and Kyla came in like a whirlwind. She spotted Ashley sitting on the living room couch and proceeded to jump on top of her. She laughed manically as she got off of Ashley and situated herself into a comfortable position next to her.

"You are a freak, Kyla Woods. Why are you so happy?" Ashley asked as looked away to watch whatever mindless show happened to be on MTV at that time. She always had that habit, that thing where she would ask questions but never look at the people who she was asking the questions of. She never felt a need to. Until now, with that girl today.

"Well, for one thing, it's summer. And unlike you, I don't plan to spend the rest of it with my lonesome self." Kyla said as she directed her attention to the blaring TV in front of her. She levered her feet onto the coffee table and put her arms behind her head. She exhaled and let the silence between them fill the room. It was that comfortable silence, where no one needed to speak because it wasn't necessary. But Ashley had to tell her about her day because there was no one else she could tell it to.

"I met a girl today." Ashley said as she gazed at the TV, keeping her eyes focused to the bright glare. She always left her sentences like that. No what, how, who, or any of the details that mattered. She was not one to give things away so easily like that. Ashley Davies constantly left people wanting more. Kyla turned her head to face Ashley as she opened her mouth.

"And…?" Kyla asked as she continued to stare at Ashley. Ashley felt Kyla's eyes gawking at her and a smirk escaped from her lips. She tilted her head to Kyla and shrugged her shoulders, as if she had no words to speak. She got up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen, leaving Kyla to process the information by herself.

"Ashley Davies! You do not just 'meet' girls." Kyla said as she trailed Ashley to the kitchen. Ashley opened the refrigerator and took out two bottles of beer. She placed both of them on the counter and pushed one of them towards Kyla, like an offering. She took the other one and smashed the bottle top against the edge of the counter. The cap fell to the floor and made a noise that Ashley paid no attention to. She took a swig from the bottle and wiped her mouth with her hand. It was finally her turn to speak as Kyla was waiting patiently.

"What do you mean? I don't 'meet' girls?" Ashley asked as she glared at Kyla. She leaned against the counter and felt the cool tile against her skin. The heat of the day was not friendly and made Ashley realized how much more she liked nights. Though the day had brought Spencer, so she could not deem it totally worthless. Kyla had already drunk half of her bottle before she got any words out.

"Do I really have to recall your past history with girls? You do one of two things: fuck them and flee or fall in love hard. Neither one of those two things is 'meeting' girls." Kyla said as she finished her bottle. She put her elbow on the counter and propped her head on her fist. Ashley let out a laugh as she saw Kyla use her fingers to air-quote the word 'meeting'. Ashley altered her eyes to the clock on the wall and saw that it was late, but then again, time didn't mean anything to her.

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Ashley said as she ran her hand through her hair. Kyla continued to stare at her with a questioning look in her eyes. Eventually, she just shook her head and sighed out loud. She had given up trying to interrogate her sister, it had been a long day. She left Ashley alone in the kitchen as she passed out in her room, and both of the bottles stayed on the counter to be cleaned up in the morning.

Ashley's fingers started to shake and she knew that her nicotine habit had kicked in. She opened the front door and felt the cool air rush to her lungs as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes came upon the pack of cigarettes on the table, exactly where she had left them. She pulled out the chair and sat down, crossing her legs Indian-style. She opened the pack and slowly took one cigarette out and examined it with her eyes. She grasped the lighter on the table and lit her cigarette. She let the burning cigarette linger in between her fingers as she watched the street aimlessly.

--

Spencer was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling above her. She had not been able to sleep in the house since she had gotten there. It did not feel like home to her. She felt like a stranger in a hotel room, wondering about all the other people who had slept in this very room before her. She glanced at the violently red numbers on her alarm clock. It was late and she knew that by this time, she would not be sleeping tonight.

She thought about taking a walk, to clear her head. Maybe it would tire her out enough so she could actually fall asleep. Her legs were hanging over the side of the bed so she locked her knees and stood up. She found her shoes after tripping over them and slid her feet into them.

She was walking on the sidewalk as she got out of her house without any incident. The rest of the family had spent most of the day moving things into the house while Spencer was with Ashley. Waking them up did not seem to be possible. She quickly followed the trail that she took to Ashley's house only hours ago. She knew she shouldn't be walking in LA in the middle of the night. She knew that and yet it did not stop her.

Before she knew it, here she was, in front of Ashley Davies's house for no particular reason. It was dark but she saw the lighted tip of a cigarette glowing in the night. She took a deep breath before descending down the path to Ashley's porch. There she was, sitting in the same chair, cross-legged, smoking a cigarette and not looking the least bit shocked that Spencer had conveniently come to her house in the middle of the night.

"Couldn't stay away?" Ashley asked as she took a drag of her cigarette. She kept her eyes on the blonde figure that stood inches away from her. The ends of Spencer's mouth upturned as a smile broke across her face. She let out a laugh and took the same seat in the chair she recently occupied not so long ago. Ashley let her eyes wander to the street as a gust of wind came over them.

"I couldn't sleep. So I thought I would take a walk because that always helps. And somehow I ended up here." Spencer said as she whispered the last sentence. Ashley let a smile appear on her face as she heard the last few words spoken by Spencer. Her head was still staring straight out ahead, but Spencer knew she was listening. She let herself steal glances at Ashley from the corner of her eyes.

"I like it when it's like this. At night, it's one of the few times this city is peaceful. The madness of the day can make a person crazy but the night brings sanity." Ashley thoughtfully said out loud. She took one last drag of her cigarette and put it out in the ashtray. Spencer leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. It all felt like a dream to her, sitting here with Ashley. Ashley looked over to where Spencer was and caught what she was doing. She unconsciously let out a laugh that caused Spencer to open her eyes. Spencer looked embarrassed as she would not let herself meet Ashley's eyes.

"That was cute." Ashley whispered into the air. Spencer had heard what Ashley had said, but did not let on that fact. She looked up at the sky to see a few stars shining back at her.

At that moment, she knew that there was nowhere else she wanted to be.


	3. The Party Scene

The sun was being hidden by the few clouds that LA had to offer on this rare occasion. Ashley was sitting in that same chair with the guitar lying on her lap. She was strumming it gently as thoughts rushed through her head. She was thinking about how she would probably die in this chair. She was thinking about the party that Kyla was throwing tonight. But most of all, she was thinking about Spencer.

Spencer had come over every single day since that night when she showed up on Ashley's doorstep. She would sit down in her usual chair and wait. Ashley would speak first and Spencer would listen. Then Spencer would respond to whatever Ashley had said. And this cycle would continue long into the night. They talked about a multitude of things. Things that most people would not care about enough to talk about or understand. But they did so that is all that matters.

Ashley saw her as she walked down the sidewalk. Her blonde hair was shining as the sun hit it so much that it almost blinded her eyes. Her skin had tanned to a golden color that was the result of sitting outside with Ashley all week. She walked with a confidence as she made her way to the porch and to what Ashley had named 'Spencer's chair.' She took her seat and waited.

"We're having a party tonight at my house. Kyla has this idea that one day of each week should be devoted to getting utterly and completely wasted. She chose today." Ashley said as she squinted her eyes because she was looking into the sun. She started playing a tune on the guitar before she stopped midway and placed the guitar on the wall where it would stay until Ashley decided to give it attention again. Spencer was silent as she wondering if what Ashley said was an open invitation or just a statement.

"You should come. Maybe then you could actually meet other people besides me. Believe me, there's way more interesting people than Ashley Davies in this town." Ashley said as she turned to look at Spencer. Spencer could only smile and shake her head at the fact that Ashley referred to herself in the third person. She thought about the prospect of attending her first real party. She didn't really need to think though, because she already knew her answer.

"A party at Ashley Davies's house? There's nowhere else I'd rather be." Spencer said as she turned to Ashley and flashed her a smile that relieved Ashley's mind of any doubt that she may have had. She swung her head back to the empty street and felt the heat increasing in more ways than one.

--

Teenagers filtered in and out of the house all throughout the night. The loud indie music filled every room with intelligent lines and catchy beats. Cigarette smoke cast a permanent cloud over the heads of everybody. The alcohol seemed to never run out as people kept bringing their own and sharing the wealth. There were kids milling outside with red cups in one hand and a cigarette in their other hand. Spencer felt like she was walking up to Ashley's house that very first time, with all that awkwardness and uncertainty.

She entered through the front door and put herself on the tips of her toes so she could see over the crowd. She scanned the room from wall to wall and found the back of Ashley's head in the kitchen. She inched her way through people she did not know before finally reaching the promised land. Ashley was leaning against the counter talking to Kyla, who Spencer had met briefly. She walked up to the two and Ashley turned her head as Kyla pointed to the direction that Spencer was in. She could not conceal her smile as her eyes came upon the blonde.

"Well, it's Spencer Carlin as I live and breathe." Ashley said as she handed Spencer a cup filled with ice cold beer. Spencer looked down at the cup and back at Ashley, almost as if to say she had no idea what to do with it. Ashley brought her own cup to Spencer's and hit it to wish cheers. She took a drink from her own cup and Spencer did the same as she watched Ashley's reaction.

This was going to be a long night.

--

After Spencer had finished her first drink and was no longer a virgin, she had another drink. And then another one. And then one more. Before she knew it, she was drunk when she had no intention of being so. Her body felt free and calm as she leaned on the wall, observing the crowd. Her mind was focused as she watched Ashley in a corner, playing her guitar while she thought no one was listening. Her legs seemed to make the decision of walking over to where Ashley was. Ashley looked up from her chair and raised her eyebrow as she saw Spencer swaying.

"Spence, are you okay?" Ashley asked before Spencer fell in her lap and into the guitar. She threw the guitar behind the chair and Spencer sprawled out over her. Spencer's eyes began to close and Ashley knew that she had to do something. She put one arm under Spencer's back and her other arm under her knees as she carried her through the crowd of sweaty and intoxicated teenagers, which was no easy feat.

Ashley grasped her door knob with her hand and kicked open her bedroom door. She laid Spencer down on her bed before getting up and locking her door. Too many times had Kyla walked in on her with another girl because she did not understand the concept of knocking. Ashley went to sit down next to Spencer on her bed, which was just a mattress on the hardwood floor. She put her elbow on her knee and rested her head on her first. She looked over at Spencer and saw that she was sleeping.

Ashley was staring at Spencer's stomach going up and down as she was breathing. She thought about waking her up but decided against it. Usually if a drunk girl was in Ashley's room, she would take advantage of the situation and of them. But this was not just some drunk girl. This was Spencer.

Spencer's eyes started to flutter open as she suddenly woke up. Her eyes were staring at the unfamiliar ceiling as she tried to figure out where exactly she was. She lifted her head and the rest of her body so that now she was in sitting right next to Ashley. Ashley looked at her with a smile on her face but did not have anything to say. So Spencer was finally the one to speak first.

"I'm sorry, Ashley. You should be out there enjoying your party. Not stuck in here taking care of me." Spencer said as she stared down at her hands. She did not want to look at Ashley's face, because she had no control of what she might do. Ashley let out a laugh as she threw back her head.

"Don't worry about that. You are much better company than anyone out there, Spencer. Drunk or not." Ashley said as her hands started to shake. That was why she usually had either a guitar, cigarette, or drink in her hands at all times. She just needed something to hold in her hands, for whatever reason. Spencer noticed this and involuntarily placed her hand into Ashley's. Their fingers laced through each others and her hand stopped shaking, if only for a moment. Ashley felt the warmness of Spencer's touch and knew she could not deny her for very much longer.

"Let's get to sleep, okay?" Ashley said while their hands were still holding one another. Spencer nodded her head and laid her body back onto the bed but leaving space for Ashley. Ashley moved in close to Spencer's warm body and faced away from her. Spencer's eyes began to close and she apparently was sleeping. Ashley's eyes were wide awake though, as she couldn't seem to fall asleep when everything she ever wanted was right next to her. A whisper escaped Spencer's lips.

"I love you." Spencer whispered while she was asleep. Ashley heard this and a smile engulfed her entire face. She let her thoughts rest in her head as she finally succumbed to the sleep her body wanted.

The morning would come, but that night would be theirs.


	4. AN

A/N: I hate to have to write another one of these author notes, but some events have transpired that literally force me to. I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting for this story that really reaffirmed my love for writing, but my life is pretty much in shambles right now. My best friend's sister was murdered in a news story that has gained national attention. This event has left me devastated and empty while I try to cope with it. I am trying to be there for my best friend while I also am dealing and questioning what is truly important in my life. So I've decided to put this story on hiatus for a while, because I can't really write about what's happening in someone else's life until I deal with what is in my own. I'm sorry for this, but I know that you guys will truly understand and sympathize with me in this difficult time in my life. Thank you so much.

Much love,

sayanythinglover


	5. Let The Flames Begin

The sun was rising as Ashley sat in her chair, with a cigarette in between her lips. Her legs were dangling over the arm of the chair as she looked at the colors in the sky. She left Spencer sleeping in her room because she had her own problems with sleep and did not want to wake her up by tossing and turning. She looked too peaceful and perfect to disturb while her eyes were closed. The summer was coming to an end soon and school would be starting. Ashley sighed at the thought of this. 

She wanted one last experience to mark the end of their summer. Her and Spencer's summer. She racked her brain as she inhaled her cigarette once more and put it out in the ashtray. An idea came to her head that was brilliant and almost too perfect to be true. She grinned to herself and saw out of the corner of her eye that Spencer was at the front door. She opened the door and walked over to her chair. She sat down and leaned her head back onto the chair. She let the sunlight hit her face and woke up from the warmth of it. She waited for Ashley to open her mouth so that it would be her voice that she would hear first thing in the morning.

"Well, you sure made last night interesting." Ashley said as she turned her head to watch Spencer's reaction. Spencer let out a laugh before she blushed thinking about the events that transpired. She thought for a moment about how to respond as she looked down at her knees. She brought her eyes to meet the brown ones staring back at her and words started to flow out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry for getting drunk it's just there was so much beer and my cup was empty so I filled it back up again and drank some more and everything got really fuzzy after that and I tri-..." Spencer blurted out before Ashley put a hand up to signal her to stop. She shook her head from side to side as she laughed at Spencer. She thought that there could not be anything cuter than a rambling Spencer, but then again she was always surprised by her.

"Spencer, calm down. Everything is okay. Don't worry." Ashley said as she smiled at the blonde looking back at her. Spencer let out a sigh of relief and let her body relax into the chair as she closed her eyes. Ashley watched her every movement in awe, because she could not turn her head or her eyes away from her. Spencer felt like a dream to her, and she thought that she had to look at her to make sure she was real.

"You know, I was thinking about something before you came out here." Ashley said as she left the sentence up in the air. Spencer kept her eyes closed but her ears open as she listened intently. After a few moments of silence, she opened her mouth to speak.

"And what was that, Ash?" Spencer said as she opened up her eyes so she could look at Ashley. She had become accustomed to playing this game with her. Ashley gives, Spencer takes. 

"We should take a road trip. Get the hell out of here. Sort of like one last hurrah before summer ends." Ashley said as she focused on Spencer. She laid her eyes onto a piece of Spencer's bare midriff. The skin was an exquisite color of golden, one that could not be explained only seen. The summer sun had been very good to Spencer as Ashley noticed.

Spencer went over all the possible scenarios in her head. Paula would so not go for this. But for Paula to even agree, she would have to notice Spencer. She had been too busy with her new job to acknowledge the fact that she had a daughter. But there was always the obvious choice. What Paula didn't know wouldn't hurt her, Spencer thought.

"That sounds like the best idea I've heard all day." Spencer said as she tilted her head to the side and flashed Ashley a smile. A thought entered in the blonde's head. _"It's not the destination, but the journey."_

--

Ashley flew into her room and started to throw clothes in the air, making the effect of an intense fabric tornado. She found her rarely used backpack and stuffed clothes into it as quick as possible. Spencer had left to her house to do the very same thing, because they decided that it was better to leave sooner rather than later.

Kyla appeared at the doorway observing this chaotic scene. She leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed against her chest. She enjoyed watching Ashley out of her element, because it was like watching an animal out of their habitat.

"Going somewhere?" Kyla asked. Ashley turned around at the sound of her voice.

"Even though it is none of your business, I am going somewhere. Satisfied?" Ashley said before turning back around to finish packing.

"Not in the least bit. What about how, where, why, who and when?" Kyla replied while she walked over to Ashley's bed and sat down on it. Ashley stopped packing when she realized she was going to get nothing done while Kyla was in here.

"With my car. I don't know. Because we can. Spencer. And right now. Now are you satisfied?" Ashley asked as she laid the backpack next to the bed and took a seat next to Kyla. She raised an eyebrow as if inviting Kyla to challenge her.

"You're kidding me. You're telling me that you and Spencer are going on a road trip to some unknown destination right now and you guys are even banging yet? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Kyla asked with a quizzical look on her face. This was not normal behavior, especially for Ashley Davies.

"First off, we're half-sisters. Secondly, she's more than that. I know you find that hard to believe, but it's true." Ashley said before letting herself exhale. She always found that the truth became real once you said it in the presence of someone else besides yourself, because it was not just inside you anymore. It was there, out in the open. Honesty was not one of her strong points.

"It's not that hard to believe. I've seen the way you look at her, Ash. You look at her like she's the only thing you can see. Like she's the only thing that matters. You need to be careful." Kyla said as she stared at Ashley. Her sister was looking at her hands, playing with them in fact. That nervous habit of hers that she could never seem to break.

"Careful? What are you talking about?" Ashley asked as she turned her head to meet Kyla's eyes. They were burning a hole into her forehead.

"You get so wrapped up into things. It's almost like it consumes you. Spencer's been here what, a month? And you're already tripping all over yourself. I'm telling you to be careful about your heart, Ashley. Even though you like to put on this front that you're not fragile, you can't lie to me. She's going to break it if you're not careful." Kyla said as she rose to stand up on her feet. She walked out the room without as much as a glance towards Ashley. Ashley looked over at the space that formerly held Kyla. It once held Spencer, not too long ago. 

She realized that Kyla was right. Spencer was all that mattered. And she could not think of wanting it any other way.

--

Spencer arrived at the end of the driveway to see Ashley put her bag into the back seat of her car. And what a car it was. A gleaming black Mustang that looked like it never had been touched, much less driven. Spencer let her mouth open in wonder of the machine. Ashley became aware of Spencer and could only smile at the sight of her.

"You like?" Ashley asked as she let out a laugh at Spencer's expense. Spencer nodded her head affirmatively and gave her bag to Ashley. Ashley put it in the back next to hers and slammed the door. She leaned against the car and watched Spencer just standing there, not knowing what to do next.

"Spencer Carlin, only one question remains: are you ready?" Ashley asked as she walked over to the driver's side and opened the car door. She was awaiting a response from Spencer before getting in. Spencer stood there for a moment, in complete silence. Finally, she looked at Ashley and began to speak.

"More than you'll ever know." She said as she walked to the passenger side and slid into her seat. Ashley did the same and put the key in the ignition. The car started and they were off onto their escapade. Spencer let her head rest on the window as they passed by the city lights. 

She realized that her answer was true in more ways than one.


	6. Sleep Through The Static

They had been driving for two hours, at last count. Ashley watched the clock tick away each minute as Spencer dozed off into a world that was not real. She let her sleep because it was probably the only thing that ever made Ashley completely calm. Spencer's head was pressed against the window as the sun setting made this a mental picture that Ashley wanted to remember.

She saw a motel that flashed a 'vacancy' sign you could see for miles. The car turned into the newly paved parking lot and pulled into an empty spot. Ashley took the keys out of the ignition and waited for a moment. She turned her head over to Spencer and saw her still sleeping there, peacefully. She placed a hand on her shoulder, which felt unbelievably warm, and gently shook her awake.

"Spence, wake up. We're finally here." Ashley whispered. Spencer fluttered her eyes open and looked out the window.

"Where exactly are we?" Spencer said as she continued looking out the window. There weren't very many cars in the parking lot and she couldn't see any places of interest.

"Well, I actually don't know. But what I do know is that there is a beach not too far from here. And I know that I did not feel like driving anymore while people took advantage and slept the entire time." Ashley said as she tried to keep a straight face. Spencer turned her head and flashed those puddles of blue that she called her eyes and Ashley forgot why she was even mad in the first place.

"Let's go check in, Carlin." Ashley said as she opened the door and felt the tightness in her legs when she got out of the car. Spencer watched her as she stretched and could not tear her eyes away. Ashley cleared her throat as she caught sight of the blonde staring at her. She turned and walked into the double doors that led to the lobby.

Spencer came back to reality and quickly followed after her.

The beach was completely empty except for the occasional jogger or random person walking their dog. The waves weren't too big or overpowering, but small and frequent. Ashley had changed into a barely covering bikini that Spencer took note of. They were both lying on their towels, letting the sun overtake their bodies.

"I heard that tanning in the sun was bad for you." Spencer said with her eyes closed, though knowing Ashley was only inches away.

"A lot of things are bad for you, Spencer. It doesn't mean it should stop you from doing them." Ashley said as she turned over to her back. Her skin was already a tan brown color, like Spencer's living room walls. But Spencer knew that her walls wouldn't come alive at her touch, Ashley would.

"Whatever. I'm burning up. That water is calling my name!" Spencer said as she got up and ran into the ocean, becoming wet in only a matter of seconds. The drops of water draped her skin with a gleaming quality, making her almost shine in the sunlight. Ashley watched her and decided to run in after her without much deliberation.

Spencer splashed her as she took her time feeling out the water. She gasped in mock surprise and splashed Spencer back. Spencer could not stop laughing at the retaliation that Ashley was putting upon her. Ashley stopped for a moment, realizing that she had never seen perfection before but that this might be the closest she ever got.

The sun was starting to set on the shore and the girls left footprints in the sand as they walked back.

The TV was turned on to some cheap horror flick as Spencer was watching intently with her hands covering her mouth so she wouldn't scream. Ashley had a deck of playing cards laid out in front of her because she was attempting to play solitaire on the bed. But she was losing, badly. That has to be the worst kind of losing right? Losing to yourself.

"I'm bored, Spencer. This is not what I had in mind when I said we should take a road trip." Ashley said as she yawned and let her head lie on the pillow behind her.

"Shh...you're making me miss the best part. The annoying girl is about to get her head chopped off by the crazy killer." Spencer said still entranced by the glowing screen in front of her. Ashley grabbed the remote and turned the power off right before the pretty girl's head rolled off. Spencer whipped her head around to see Ashley with a grin engulfing her face.

"You officially suck." Spencer said as she climbed up onto the bed to face Ashley. She sat with her legs crossed over so that her knees were touching Ashley's. There was mischievous glint in her eyes and Spencer had no idea what she was in for.

"Let's play a game. Truth or dare, Carlin?" Ashley said as her eyes widen awaiting Spencer's response.

"Truth." Spencer said while making sure her eyes did not blink.

"Easy. Are you a virgin?" Ashley asked while trying her keep herself from smiling but failing miserably. Spencer became flustered when she heard the question and began to blush. She regained her composure quickly though.

"Yes. Truth or dare?" Spencer said getting to the point. Ashley started to think for a moment before opening her mouth to speak.

"Truth." Ashley responded as she felt Spencer's knees against her own. Her body was heating up and she was hoping that Spencer would not be able to feel it.

"Have you ever been in love?" Spencer asked while carefully watching Ashley's face. Ashley felt her face redden before she realized it. She let out an exhale and a laugh to make her feel calm.

"Such a romantic, Spencer. No, I have not. Truth or dare?" Ashley asked as she tried to gain the upper hand again. Spencer had momentarily taken it away from her.

"Truth again." Spencer said as she placed her palms on top of her knees. She felt so close to her, almost so that she was afraid that Ashley would actually hear how hard her heart was beating at this second.

"Why did you walk up to my house that one day?" Ashley asked as she focused all her attention onto Spencer. The room she was in became hazy because the only thing that was clear to her was the person in front of her.

"You looked lonely, like you just needed someone. And I had just left my whole life miles away. So I was in that same position, and I thought I could maybe be that someone for you." Spencer said as she glanced her head down and felt Ashley's eyes on her.

"Dare." That one word escaped from Ashley's mouth.

"What?" Spencer said as she lifted her head to see Ashley's eyes staring at her with such intensity that she never saw before.

"I dare you to kiss me." Ashley said as her hands started to shake at the worst times. Spencer's face had confusion and hesitation written all over it.

Ashley brought her hands to the side of Spencer's face. They immediately stopped shaking and felt the warmness of Spencer's skin. She kissed her lips without so much as a second thought.

Their lips together seemed like a puzzle, trying desperately to find that right piece.


	7. Positive Tension

Two figures sat on the porch that held so many truths and memories. Ashley was sitting in one chair, dangling a cigarette from her lips as she tried to decide if she wanted to light another one. Kyla inhabited the other chair, sitting cross-legged and doing breathing exercises. The sun was beginning to set as the two Davies sisters wasted their final day before school started.

"We should just ditch tomorrow. Who actually goes to school on the first day?" Ashley asked as she lit up her cigarette and inhaled hard. She watched the smoke dance around her head, which was swimming in thoughts.

"You cannot ditch the first day of school. It's like an unwritten rule. Besides, don't you want to see King High's best and brightest after three months away from them?" Kyla sarcastically said with a smile on her face. She was trying to clear her head to focus on the year ahead of her.

"Three months is still not enough time away from those people." Ashley said as she let out a sigh of defeat. She stared out into the vast emptiness of the street, almost like she was waiting for something.

"Well, Spencer will be there and you can show her around. Speaking of, I haven't seen her around since your little spontaneous road trip to God-knows-where." Kyla said as watched for her sister's reaction. Ashley was like one of those classic books in a foreign language, extremely hard to read unless you know what you're looking for. She saw Ashley tense up at the mention of the name of the blonde who had been there almost every day.

"She's off doing her own thing. I forget to tell you that she's a cheerleader. Go team!" Ashley said as she tried to change the subject. The truth was she and Spencer had not talked since she dropped her off at her house after the road trip. The ride home was silent since the only thing making any noise was the radio. Awkward did not even begin to describe it.

"Right. I think I'm going to call it a night and get some sleep. Unlike you, I want to make a good first impression tomorrow." Kyla said as she got up and headed for the door. She let herself in as the screen door banged loudly against the frame.

Ashley was once again left alone in the heat of the night. Her head kept replaying that night with Spencer. Her getting caught up in the moment and kissing Spencer. Spencer kissing back. Her body on top of the perfection that was Spencer. Spencer pushing her off and running to bathroom while crying. Neither one of them got any sleep that night since that truth and dare game revealed more truth than either one was willing to handle.

Ashley put her hand to her forehead and started rubbing it, as if trying to erase any existence of memory of Spencer Carlin.

That was much easier said than done.

--

Spencer was in the backseat while Glen and Clay were fighting over the radio. Her head was resting on the window as she was looking at the scenery passing them by. Back in Ohio, everything was flat and lackluster. Here in LA, everything was shaped and molded to make people feel inferior.

They pulled into a parking lot and quickly raced to the nearest vacant space. Glen congratulated himself on beating the other car that wanted the spot as bad as he did.

"Did you see me totally burn out that other guy? Watch out, Jeff Gordon. Glen Carlin has arrived." Glen said as his eyes tried to scan every female being within a twenty feet radius of him. Spencer and Clay could only shake their heads and laugh at the entertainment that Glen provided.

Spencer felt lost in the sea of people that seemed to know exactly where they were going. She looked around to find any familiar faces, but instead saw two thousand strange faces walking past her.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway and inhaled the air around her.

Ready or not, here she came.

--

Ashley leaned against the car door, smoking her last cigarette before the bell rang. Kyla was in the car furiously doing her make-up in the mirror since she had woken up late. Ashley could not help but bask in the irony of this moment before her.

"Hurry up, Kyla. You don't want to be late on your first day!" Ashley said, imitating Kyla's voice. She let out a laugh as Kyla shot her the coldest look she could manage at 8am in the morning.

"This is your fault since you unplugged my alarm clock for that stupid lava lamp. Nice gift, by the way." Kyla said as she continued putting on her make-up. She gave herself one last look in the mirror before being sastified. She got out of the car and slammed the door without any remorse.

"Easy on Black Beauty, okay? She's a fucking classic." Ashley said as she dropped her cigarette and stomped her foot on it. They both started to walk away in their infamous strut that was known around school. Each step seemed to say that they were untouchable and they knew it. Kyla swiftly found Aiden standing in a circle with the jocks and ran over to him.

Ashley decided not to follow her sister and walked over to her locker that had resided her stuff for the past two years. She noticed the back side of a blonde a few lockers down from her. She looked like a new student by the way she was hunched over her lock, trying frantically to get it open. As she got closer, she noticed something familiar about the girl and it suddenly hit her.

Spencer Carlin was ten feet away from her and would be for the rest of the year.

The universe was definitely taking its revenge on Ashley Davies right now.

--

"Need some help?" Said a voice that made Spencer turn promptly around. Spencer did not hide the look of surprise and shock on her face upon seeing Ashley. Ashley could only offer a fake smile as she waited for Spencer to speak.

"Wow. You're in the right place at the right time. Can you give it a try? It'd be nice if I could open my locker for the remainder of the year." Spencer said as she titled her head to the side of the wall of lockers and let it rest. She had been trying to open it for ten minutes, but apparently a combination wasn't the way to do it.

"Sure. What's your combo?" Ashley asked as she placed herself in front of the locker while Spencer moved to the side. Spencer handed the piece of paper to Ashley and she took it away from her. With one glance, Ashley twisted and turned the lock until the sound of a click was heard. Ashley held the lock in her hand like a prize, holding it for Spencer to take.

"Oh my God. Thank you so much. You are a lifesaver." Spencer said as she took the lock from her hand and stood still. She looked inside the locker and saw that it was empty except for some stickers placed on the inside. They were of horrible pop and rock bands that should not ever see the light of day. Spencer made a mental note to put something over it so it would be covered and no one would confuse it for her taste in music.

"So how did you find me?" Spencer asked as Ashley was just standing there, watching her. Ashley let out a quick exhale that people do when they find something funny.

"On accident. My locker is right over there." Ashley said as she pointed over to the right. A look of realization came over Spencer's face and she instantly blushed. Ashley noticed this and wanted to suddenly make a clean break from this uncomfortable situation.

"Anyway...I think I'm going to try to navigate and find my class. Want to make a good first impression. I'll see you around, Carlin." Ashley said as she turned around to leave. A warm hand on her arm stopped her though, and she faced Spencer.

"Ash...don't go yet. I was hoping we could talk about stuff. Maybe at lunch?" Spencer asked with a hint of hope in her voice. Ashley could only nod her head and smile as she walked away.

Ashley shuffled around the school until the bell finally rung. The ringing was still audible in her ears as she entered her classroom. She sat down in an empty seat and crossed her arms on the desk as she laid her head down.

This was going to be a long year.


	8. Back In Your Head

A table over in a solitary corner was where Ashley sat, waiting for Spencer. She didn't bring a lunch, and even if she did, she would have been too nervous and anxious to eat it. Ashley's fingers kept rattling on the table, while people walked on by without a second notice. She saw Kyla sitting next to Aiden at another table, whispering something in his ear. She rolled her eyes at the sight of this and quickly averted her attention to a blank spot on the metal table.

"Is this seat taken?" Spencer asked as she slid to fill the empty space next to Ashley. Ashley had her vocal chords momentarily paralyzed and could only nod to answer Spencer's question. That same awkward silence that filled the car ride home now made its way back to the present moment.

"How's your first day at King High School going?" Ashley asked while looking off into the distance. She couldn't quite bring herself to meet Spencer's eyes because that was quite a dangerous thing. Getting lost in those eyes meant she was done for.

"Good." Spencer sighed, tired from walking around the huge campus. She was aware that Ashley was not looking at her and she couldn't blame her.

"So you wanted to talk about something?" Ashley finally questioned since this dance around the obvious had gone on long enough. She could feel her heart beating and was hoping Spencer couldn't hear it.

"What? Oh, I don't know. I just wanted to catch up." Spencer lied right through her teeth. She wasn't that person, a girl who was good at lying. She was too innocent and pure to do that. And that only made Ashley want her more.

"Don't do that. You can say it, Spencer. I believe the correct term for it is 'making out'." Ashley said with a smile on her face. She found humor in the situation because she had spent enough time agonizing about it.

"You kissed me first, Ashley." Spencer said with a defensive tone in her voice. Ashley could only let out a sarcastic laugh at the accusation.

"You kissed me back. And I didn't just do that out of nowhere, Spencer. Don't act like such a victim in this." Ashley said as she met Spencer's eyes for the first time in the conversation. This was not Spencer had in mind when she had asked to talk to Ashley.

"What does that mean?" Spencer asked as she looked around the quad. She felt her body tightening up due to paranoia of everybody walking around and maybe overhearing something. She didn't want to have a reputation before the first day was over.

"You come over everyday. You spend all of your time with me. And in that moment, you told me that you wanted to be that 'someone' for me. So don't blame me for this without looking at yourself." Ashley said as she could feel the anger rise in her body and exit through her mouth. The humid air was only adding to the intensity of this.

"I'm sorry if you misinterpreted our friendship, Ashley." Spencer said in a low tone so she wouldn't attract any attention. She felt her cheeks blushing from embarrassment. Her head was trying to process everything Ashley was saying but failing miserably.

"You're going to pull that card. We were never just friends, Spencer. So come and find me when you realize that." Ashley said as she got up to leave. She stood there waiting for a moment as Spencer didn't speak. She sighed out loud and walked away, leaving Spencer alone.

This wasn't the first day at school that she had imagined in her mind.

--

Ashley sat in her room, strumming her guitar on her bed. She wanted to write a song, like one of those angsty unrequited love songs that she hated so much. Because that is what she felt, about a girl. She threw the guitar on the ground and collapsed onto the mattress. A knock at her door rattled her for a second, but she didn't move.

"Ashley Davies, I never thought I'd see the day." Kyla said as she walked into the room without an invitation. She picked up the guitar and made a horrible attempt to play it.

"What are you talking about?" Ashley said as she put her hands over her eyes, trying to block out everything with this one motion.

"You fell in love with someone who didn't fall for your charm and rebel without a cause attitude." Kyla said as she put the guitar back down on the floor. She sat next to Ashley and ran her hands through her hair, trying to comfort her while insulting her at the same time.

"Bite me." The only two words to come out of Ashley's mouth. She didn't have it in her to defend herself to Kyla. All of her energy had been devoted to Spencer and it had slowly drained out of her.

"She really messed you up if that's all you can come up with." Kyla said as her feet started to tap. It must be genetics or something that gave both girls annoying nervous habits.

Ashley buried her face in her pillow and mumbled a 'get out' to Kyla. The younger sister gracefully obliged and closed the door on her way out. Ashley waited quietly until she was sure Kyla was out of her room. Then she got up and picked up her guitar along the way as she left her bedroom.

She opened the front door and sat in her seat, with her guitar in her lap. And she waited for her.

--

"Earth to Spencer." Glen's voice snapped Spencer back to reality. She looked embarrassed as her entire family was looking at her around the dinner table. She whispered a 'sorry' and went back to eating the processed food on her plate.

--

Ashley did not move from her chair. The ashtray was full and the guitar was leaning against the wall. The moon was hanging like a picture in the middle of the sky as Ashley noticed that the grass needed to be cut. She shrugged her shoulders at the thought of this and went back to staring blankly at the street.

This had never happened to her. She was never the one to have been rejected or have her own heart broken. To say that this was unfamiliar was an understatement. There was just something different about Spencer was the only answer that Ashley could come up with.

Someone started to walk into the Davies's front yard and make their way to the porch that was presently occupied by Ashley. Blue eyes looked warily around as a blonde stood awkwardly on the steps. Ashley only had three words to say.

"You found me."


End file.
